Ways to Help Underachieving Boys Succeed in School

Letter here. Excerpt:

'The way to deal with boys’ underachievement in school is not through “boy friendly” policies like more recess, single-sex classrooms and male teachers but through strong academic climates and clear, consistent information about occupations and the educational pathways that lead to them.

After years of research for our forthcoming book, “The Rise of Women: The Growing Gender Gap in Education and What It Means for American Schools,” Thomas A. DiPrete and I found that in schools where academic effort is expected and valued, boys compete for high grades and more often achieve them. Such schools reduce gender gaps and promote healthy, multifaceted gender identities for both boys and girls.
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Rather than remaking schools in ways that reinforce gender stereotypes, we need schools that set high expectations for student achievement and treat students as individuals.'